He converted to Buddhism in 1990 while studying in India, and has been teaching mindfulness meditation in Africa since 2005. Tricycle. Bhante Buddharakkhita from Uganda, founder of the Uganda Buddhist Centre. The early years presented many challenges: Dressed in his maroon robes and holding a begging bowl, Bhante Buddharakkhita was frequently mistaken for a member of the Maasai ethnic group, a traditional medicine man, or even a cutting-edge fashionista. BIBLIOGRAPHY ON BUDDHISM IN SOUTH AFRICA, INCLUDING SOUTH AFRICAN WORKS ON BUDDHISM By Michel Clasquin 1st version, August 2002 Introduction If this bibliography contained only publications specifically about Buddhism in South Africa, it would be a short one indeed. The number of Buddhist centers, when the first Buddhist temple was established (it’s further back than you may think), and more dharma data from Central and Eastern Africa. Some Africans were aware of Buddhism at a very early stage in history—indeed, some of the earliest evidence for Western knowledge of Buddhist traditions comes from Northeast Africa—yet today Africa is the least Buddhist of the inhabited continents. In 2015 he founded the African Buddhist Union, an umbrella group aimed at uniting practitioners across the continent. Pema Chödrön Buddhism is the main religion in several East Asian countries. Although the inherently introspective nature of Buddhism does not encourage census, adherents to these traditions are usually outspoken and supported by perhaps an even greater, though hidden number of sympathisers. Though there have been some conversion amongst Africans, most of the Buddhists in Africa, are of Asian, mostly Chinese, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan or Japanese descent. You don’t have to be weird or a Buddhist or sitting on top of a mountain in India to derive benefits of studying Buddhism. Most of the Buddhists in Africa, live in South Africa. Buddhism in South Africa Last updated January 01, 2020. Over the years Bhante Buddharakkhita has refined his teaching style, and today he highlights the similarities between African culture and Buddhism. South Africa holds the largest Buddhist population in the continent. Though there have been some conversion amongst Africans, most of the Buddhists in Africa are of Asian, mostly Chinese, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan or Japanese descent. But after years spent living abroad and tireless commitment, in the course of which he survived an assassination attempt and received many strange looks at his robes, he became one of the first Africans to establish a Buddhist center on the continent. No matter where he was in the world, no matter what Buddhist tradition he followed, Bhante Buddharakkhita’s dream of starting a center stayed with him. Though there have been some conversion amongst Africans, most of the Buddhists in Africa, are of Asian, mostly Chinese, Vietnamese or Japanese descent. Subscribe for access to video teachings, monthly films, e-books, and our 29-year archive. According to 2010s estimates, Buddhist adherents are increasing to between 0.2% 0.3% of the South African population, or between 100 and 150 thousand people, however, the number of practicing Buddhists … To understand Buddhism in Ghana let me give you some background. Please check your email to confirm your subscription. According to 2010s estimates, Buddhist adherents (included Taoism and Chinese Folk Religion) are increasing to between 0.2%[1] 0.3%[2] of the South African population, or between 100 and 150 thousand people, however, the number of practicing Buddhists may be lower. What did the Buddha teach? South Africa has the highest number because many people who came from Asian countries to work in … Buddhism, as a major world religion, is practiced in Africa. Tricycle is a nonprofit that depends on reader support. Clasquin, Michel / Krüger, Jacobus S. Bhante Buddharakkhita, one of the first African Buddhist monks, is melding Buddhism with traditional African wisdom in Uganda. There had been a large Chinese community in the Cape from the eighteenth century onwards,6 but these were mostly transient sailors. Buddhism was present in a South African history of religious texts and objects. – Dr Upul Wijayawardhana; The former Sinhalese in Serendib are great (සෙරන්ඩිබ් වල හිටපු සිංහලයා ශ්‍රේෂ්ඨයි) – Mr Jackson Anthony (ජැක්සන් ඇන්තනි මහතා) When he asked the Dalai Lama to bless the endeavor, the Tibetan Buddhist leader scratched his head and told him he would need to find friends to help—His Holiness didn’t have any contacts to offer. The African countries and territories in the Indian Ocean also have significant Buddhist minorities. In 1988 I produced a 35mm major motion picture. Stephen Batchelor His relatives were expecting to welcome a prosperous businessman. Kaboggoza realized early on that while there were religious and cultural Tibetan Buddhist organizations all around the world, there was not a single one in Africa. But he was immediately drawn to two Thai monks who were his classmates. Subscribe now to read this article and get immediate access to everything else. Soon after he returned to Uganda, many of Bhante Buddharakkhita’s immediate family members converted to Buddhism, moved by his teachings and meditation instructions as well as the respect shown him by South Asian Buddhist immigrants in the region. The study of South African Buddhism is a very recent The gate is a ... gift from the Government of India to Malaysia, as a mark of continued friendship between the two countries. Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism will free the spirit of the African people who died on the middle passage. Thich Nhat Hahn Torana Gate is a torana in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur. About 35 Ugandans. It was influenced by Buddhist architecture of the Indian subcontinent. Continuous new writings from leading Buddhist teachers and New York Times bestselling authors, including: Sharon Salzberg This style was worn in various countries in Africa and currently worn and embraced in the African/African American natural hair community. Would you like to sign up for our other mailing lists? “When I saw the monks, I felt a connection,” he said. Born Steven Kaboggoza in Kampala and raised Roman Catholic, the young man who would become Bhante Buddharakkhita didn’t know there were other religions besides Christianity and Islam when he went to India in 1990 to study business at Panjab University in Chandigarh. [32], There have also been cases of some high-profile celebrities converting to Buddhism such as Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, a famous British actor of Nigerian descent.[33]. The lack of a spiritual community led him abroad again, first to South America, then to a three-month retreat at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, where he met his teacher, the Theravada monk Bhante Henepola Gunaratana. But he wasn’t there for long. Buddhism, as a major world religion, is practiced in Africa. The Nan Hua Temple Complex, near Johannesburg.. Buddhist traditions are represented in South Africa in many forms. See More It is estimated that 100 million Africans died on the middle passage coming to Americas as slaves. Buddhism, as a major world religion, is practiced in Africa. Please try again. Joseph Goldstein. Though he shrugs off most of these cultural misunderstandings with a laugh, on one occasion he was attacked at his center and narrowly escaped a bullet at close range. He emphasizes, for instance, the similarity between the South African concept of ubuntu [“You are because I am, I am because you are”] and dependent origination, and he begins his talks on karma with a popular Ugandan proverb about cause and effect: “When you eat a mushroom with a maggot in it, it will eat you when you’re in the grave.” He sums up his work this way: “You can’t bring a bucket of sand and drop it there and say, ‘OK, here’s Buddhism.’ You cultivate the soil [with African wisdom] and make sure that it’s very fertile, and then bring the dharma seed and plant it.” The result, he hopes, will be a thriving and uniquely African version of Buddhism. He decided to dedicate himself fully to spiritual life and was ordained in California in 2002 by the late Venerable U Silananda. Lasting Mauritius has the highest Buddhist percentage (between 1.5[3] to 2%[4] of the total population) among African countries due to high number of Chinese people (nearly 40 thousands or 3% of the Mauritian population[5]). Buddhism is different to Christianity as a ‘God’ is not worshiped and it also does not teach the existence of the human soul. Buddhism and Africa, 40; the lower estimate is my own. Since the early 70's, the profound Buddhist view with its vast number of methods has inspired a growing number of people in Western cultures. Help us share Buddhist teachings and practices by donating now. Thank you for subscribing to Tricycle! (eds.) Take an online Buddhism course at your own pace. We’re sorry, there was an error. Though there have been some conversion amongst Africans, most of the Buddhists in Africa, are of Asian, mostly Chinese, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan or Japanese descent. Buddhist monks in Africa. Buddhism in Africa Magazine Buddhism By The Numbers: African Great Lakes Region. Enter South Africa. Bhante Buddharakkhita, one of the first African Buddhist monks, is melding Buddhism with traditional African wisdom in Uganda. It is estimated that about 0.02% of Africans are Buddhist, currently the lowest percentage of … 16th Karmapa and are today under the patronage of H.H. Design by Point Five. As a nonprofit, we depend on readers like you to keep Buddhist teachings and practices widely available. I am a 5 time Karate/Kickboxing Champion. The Dalai Lama For over 20 years I was a fight promoter and producer. I received the Dharma name Ben Xing, which means “awakening” or, more literally, “the original root of awakening,” in 2000 from the renowned Buddhist monk Venerable Master Hui Li, the first Mahayana monk from Taiwan to come to Africa and propagate humanistic Buddhism. To alleviate a shortage of clean water, the Uganda Buddhist Center drilled a new well on their grounds to share with their neighbors; they also plant trees and run a women’s economic empowerment program in addition to a “Peace School,” a Buddhist version of Sunday school. Tara Brach Discover what 24,741 subscribers have access to, Full access to 29 years of content with over 7,775 articles. When Venerable Bhante Buddharakkhita, now 52, first became interested in Buddhism, it didn’t take him long to realize that the tradition wasn’t very well established in his home country of Uganda—or even his home continent. Should we reform the Buddhism we practice? Gain insight and understand the mental state of happiness, learn to identify and defuse sources of negative emotion and to cultivate emotional states like compassion to improve personal and societal well-being. Bhante has also started a number of development projects that benefit the local community. Buddhism Takes Root in Africa. What they got, Bhante Buddharakkhita later wrote in his book, Planting Dhamma Seeds in Africa, was a man with a shaved head carrying Buddhist books and scuba gear instead of a briefcase. “I use African wisdom as the foundation for my teaching,” he says. In North Africa, about 0.3%[1][12] (or about 20 thousand people) of the Libya's population are also Buddhists (mostly foreign workers from Asia). I was born Simon Manase Masauko in Malawi on 23 April 1978. Buddhism in Africa. Buddhism in South Africa: | | ||| | The |Nan Hua Temple| Complex, near |Johannesburg|. Although the inherently introspective nature of Buddhism does not encourage census, adherents to these traditions are usually outspoken and supported by perhaps an even greater, though hidden number of sympathisers. Inspired by the Buddhist teachings they shared with him and their suggestions of “practical ways to reach ultimate happiness,” he spent a few years on a spiritual search, traveling to Dharamsala (home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile), as well as Nepal, Tibet, and Thailand, where he supported himself working as a scuba instructor. 0.01% of South Africa's population are Buddhist. Copyright 2021. Buddhist Studies. Jack Kornfield UNESCO world heritage site. However, the number of practicing Buddhists is only about 0.4,[6] and Madagascar is also home of about 20 thousand Buddhists[7] (or about 0.1%[8] of the total population). [13], There are some Buddhist centers or temples can be found in Sub-Saharan African countries like: Botswana,[14] Cameroon,[15] Cote d'Ivoire,[16] Ghana,[17] Guinea,[18] Kenya,[19] Lesotho,[20] Liberia,[21] Malawi,[22] Mali,[23] Namibia,[24] Nigeria,[25] Senegal, Sierra Leone,[26] Swaziland,[27] Tanzania,[28] Togo,[29] Uganda,[30] Zambia,[31] and Zimbabwe. South Africa is holding the largest Buddhist population in the continent. Returning to Uganda, he drew enough local followers and donations from supporters in Asia to purchase land in Entebbe, a town outside of Kampala, the nation’s capital, and in 2005 he opened the Uganda Buddhist Center there. Founder and abbot of the Uganda Buddhist Centre and temple, and author of Planting Dhamma Seeds: The Emergence of Buddhism in Africa, Ven. He wasn’t discouraged, however, and instead viewed the incident as an opportunity to “transform trauma into dhamma” and strengthen his resolve. There are also two Buddhist centers in Casablanca, Morocco. One of the very few monastics of African descent is Ven. South Africa is holding the largest Buddhist population in the CONTENTS Buddhism in Africa: some strategic issues Kobus Krüger 1 The Buddha of suburbia: a nineteenth-century South African imagining Darrel Wratten 13 Buddhism in South Africa: its past history, present status and likely future Louis Van Loon 31 By The Editors Spring 2019 Magazine Society & Environment Buddhism Takes Root in Africa “We have about 3,000 Buddhists in Africa. Buddhism symbols Bhante Buddharakkhita greets the morning light at the Uganda Buddhist Center by sitting before the brass “Mirembe Buddha” (Luganda, “Peace Buddha”) statue. In spite of this, there has been some increase in interest in Buddhism in recent years on the African continent. Indeed, it suggests that, although Buddhism was denominated as absurd or aberrant, South Africa became a pivotal nexus for ritualized and recurring exchanges and debates that produced these texts about Buddhism. Explore timeless teachings through modern methods. Therefore after looking way back we can have some happy progress in future. It is an AFRICAN being sitting in such pose. It is very new, but, many countries like as Tanzania, Botswana, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi and South Africa have many Buddhist temples, organizations, centers and academic studies. Buddhism, as a major world religion, is practiced in Africa. First of all, the hair style is of African decent, which is called Bantu knots that originated in South Africa. Le isole Mauritius hanno la più alta percentuale di buddhisti - tra l'1,5% e il 2% della … Nan Hua Temple in Bronkhorstspruit, South Africa is the largest Buddhist pagoda in Africa. Take a good look at the Buddhist sculpture. In the Seychelles and Réunion, Buddhists represented about 0.1%[9][10] to 0.2%[1][11] of the island populations. (1999): This page was last edited on 2 January 2021, at 06:14. The latest from Tricycle to your inbox and more, A weekly update on everything you need to know on tricycle.org, Buddhist teachings to your inbox every Thursday, Course announcements, offers, and events from our partners, Weekly updates and guided meditations from a Buddhist teacher throughout the month of March, Buddha Buzz Weekly: New Workshop Series Blends Buddhism and Constitutional Law, Building a Strong Foundation: Four Guided Meditations, Buddha Buzz Weekly: Beatboxing Monk Goes Viral. He decided that he would start the first, but he had a long way to go before making his dream a reality. Though there have been some conversion amongst Africans, most of the Buddhists in Africa are of Asian, mostly Chinese, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan or Japanese descent. All rights reserved. They were established by Lama Ole and Hannah Nydahl according to the wishes of H.H. Buddharakkhita Thera was born Steven Jemba Kabogozza, and raised a Catholic. However, by that time, it had spread to Sri Lanka. Birthplace of Sidhartha Gautama(Buddha) Lumbini, Nepal( Ancient Indi... an subcontinent) Queen Mahamaya gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama in 563 BCE. Buddhism, as a major world religion, is practiced in Africa. Even his mother decided to ordain; now known as Venerable Dhammakami, she serves as the center’s resident nun. Buddhism in Africa From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigation Jump to search For the 2019 South African film, see Buddha in Africa. Buddhism later almost completely died out in India. South Africa holds the largest Buddhist population in the continent. Salzberg, Andrew Olendzki, and raised a Catholic has been teaching mindfulness meditation in Africa are Buddhist world. 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